Airbnb Host Gets Odd Request From Guest-Then She Realizes: ‘Big Problem'
An Airbnb host says she was left stunned after a guest staying for nearly two weeks demanded to know why the property did not have a mailbox, revealing that he had forwarded all of his mail to the short-term rental without asking.
The host, who posts under the Reddit name Chickenyeah17, shared her story this week, explaining that the guest had been in the residence for three days of a planned 13-day stay when he messaged her about missing mail deliveries from FedEx and USPS.
Bills, Bills, Bills
When the original poster (OP) called to clarify, the guest said he had forwarded his mail to the Airbnb during his stay. The host told him that mail at the property is automatically forwarded to the owners, who live out of state, for security reasons.
"He was absolutely baffled as to why we didn't have a mailbox and demanded we install one," she later wrote in the thread.
The guest apparently asked, "How am I supposed to pay my bills? I need that mail!"
He even inquired about having a maintenance worker install a mailbox temporarily.
The host responded that in more than 100 prior stays, no guest had ever requested to forward personal mail to the rental.
Reddit responders warned the OP against allowing such a service among more than 400 comments.
As one pundit identifying as a retired postal worker declared, “I don't care what anyone says or asks you to do… DO NOT ALLOW A GUEST TO HAVE THEIR MAIL FORWARDED TO YOUR HOUSE FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME!!"
The same pundit continued: "If they would like to receive mail while they are staying, they can have their mail forwarded to the post office under GENERAL DELIVERY. They can then go into the PO and pick up their mail with ID."
‘A known scam’
They also advised hosts to remove mail boxes entirely, writing: "The post office will NOT deliver any mail to a residence without a mail receptacle. They will return any and all mail to the sender marked, ‘NO MAIL RECEPTACLE'.
“This will avoid the issue of anyone being able to establish residency at your residence for any length of time, whether it's short term or long term."
Another Reddit contributor cautioned that accepting mail could create legalrisks.
"NO. You do not want him to claim residency. Having mail delivered makes it easier for him to do that if he refuses to leave the rental,” they said.
The contributor called the situation, "a known scam," and urged the host to review local tenancy laws.
Concerns about overstaying guests are echoed in guidance for hosts. According to Hospitable, "Airbnb squatters are guests who fail to check out after their check-out date."
The site notes that in many U.S.states, guests who stay for one month or longer, "may establish rights as a tenant," making removal subject to formal eviction proceedings.
Screening and vigilance are often recommended. In a 2025 guide for AirDNA, Scott Sage wrote, "Every Airbnb booking comes with a level of trust. You’re handing over the keys to your property, your business and (sometimes) your sanity."
He added that, "Warning signs like vague communication, unverified profiles, or unusual requests should never be ignored."
A Demanding Stay
For the host, the mailbox dispute has become the latest issue in what she described as an already demanding stay.
When another commentator suggested the guest could have used general delivery at a local post office, she replied: "Yes he could. But apparently just did it to our house, without asking and now wants me to fix it for him [laugh out loud]."
As the guest's stay continues, the OP said she plans to contact the post office for clarification, though she questioned whether the matter should fall on her at all.
Newsweek has reached out to Chickenyeah17 for comment via Reddit. We could not verify the details of the case.
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This story was originally published February 19, 2026 at 8:30 PM.